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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. wax — to grow
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stock — shares
  14. foot — a measure
  15. chair — a leader
  16. stock — goods
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. net — in sport
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stock — a soup base

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com